The Mountain Meadows Massacre
by Juanita Brooks
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Description
In the Fall of 1857, some 120 California-bound emigrants were killed in lonely Mountain Meadows in southern Utah; only eighteen young children were spared. The men on the ground after the bloody deed took an oath that they would never mention the event again, either in public or in private. The leaders of the Mormon church also counseled silence. The first report, soon after the massacre, described it as an Indian onslaught at which a few white men were present, only one of whom, John D. show more Lee, was actually named. With admirable scholarship, Mrs. Brooks has traced the background of conflict, analyzed the emotional climate at the time, pointed up the social and military organization in Utah, and revealed the forces which culminated in the great tragedy at Mountain Meadows. The result is a near-classic treatment which neither smears nor clears the participants as individuals. It portrays an atmosphere of war hysteria, whipped up by recitals of past persecutions and the vision of an approaching "army" coming to drive the Mormons from their homes. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I write this in 2012, when Mitt Romney is the Republican nominee for President -- a Mormon nominee, and one whose Mormonism has been at least occasionally an issue. I find it very surprising that, in all this discussion, I have never heard the words "Mountain Meadows Massacre" used. For a massacre did take place at Mountain Meadows, a century and a half ago, and Mormons did take part, and in all the time since, there has been suspicion that the Mormon church was officially involved. The only way we can know for certain is to see the records of the Church, and these are hidden from the public.
Which makes this book historically very important. This was the first book to really try to take a critical look at the murder of dozens of show more "gentiles" on September 11, 1857. The author -- herself a Mormon -- was subjected to great anger by her church for raising such a delicate subject, even though she never reached absolute conclusions about the guilt of the church (a point on which many others have been less delicate).
So how good is the history? It depends on what you want. This is, frankly, a very disorganized book, opening with two Author's Statements and a Preface before it gets to the actual book. It concludes with many appendices which aren't even cataloged in the table of contents; you just have to go to the end of the book and start paging through them. The 1991 edition sandwiched this mess between a foreword and an afterword by a different author. It's a hard book to use, and not especially easy to read. But the research is impeccable, the conclusions appropriately cautious. If you just want a general outline of the affair, another book will be easier. But if you are willing to do the work to read the book, this is the fountainhead of more than fifty years of modern research -- research which, in 2012, could become significant if anyone ever asks the first Mormon presidential nominee what is his opinion about the Mormon Church opening its records.
(Disclaimer: The present writer is not a Mormon. Nor have I any idea whether the Mormon Church had a direct role in the Massacre, although it seems pretty clear they helped cover it up. I'm not particularly concerned about whether they are guilty or not; not only is everyone involved dead, but so are their children and grandchildren. But I do think we should have the truth.) show less
Which makes this book historically very important. This was the first book to really try to take a critical look at the murder of dozens of show more "gentiles" on September 11, 1857. The author -- herself a Mormon -- was subjected to great anger by her church for raising such a delicate subject, even though she never reached absolute conclusions about the guilt of the church (a point on which many others have been less delicate).
So how good is the history? It depends on what you want. This is, frankly, a very disorganized book, opening with two Author's Statements and a Preface before it gets to the actual book. It concludes with many appendices which aren't even cataloged in the table of contents; you just have to go to the end of the book and start paging through them. The 1991 edition sandwiched this mess between a foreword and an afterword by a different author. It's a hard book to use, and not especially easy to read. But the research is impeccable, the conclusions appropriately cautious. If you just want a general outline of the affair, another book will be easier. But if you are willing to do the work to read the book, this is the fountainhead of more than fifty years of modern research -- research which, in 2012, could become significant if anyone ever asks the first Mormon presidential nominee what is his opinion about the Mormon Church opening its records.
(Disclaimer: The present writer is not a Mormon. Nor have I any idea whether the Mormon Church had a direct role in the Massacre, although it seems pretty clear they helped cover it up. I'm not particularly concerned about whether they are guilty or not; not only is everyone involved dead, but so are their children and grandchildren. But I do think we should have the truth.) show less
While the author provides a lot of documentation, I could not help sensing an LDS bias to the whole affair.
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- Original publication date
- 1950; 1962 (revised edition) (revised edition); 1991 (paperback edition with foreword by Jan Shipps) (paperback edition with foreword by Jan Shipps)
- People/Characters
- John Cradlebaugh, judge; William H. Dame; Jacob Forney; Isaac C. Haight; Jacob Hamblin; John M. Higby (show all 12); Nephi Johnson; Philip K. Klingonsmith; Philip K. Smith; John D. Lee; George A. Smith; Young, Brigham, 1801–1877
- Important places
- Fort Bridger, Wyoming, USA; Pinto, Utah, USA; San Bernardino, California, USA; Enterprise, Utah, USA
- Important events
- Mountain Meadows Massacre
- First words
- Preface
At the outset, let me make myself clear. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called Mormon; I was born into the church and have been raised in it.
Foreword
by Jan Shipps
Rarely in the writing of the history of any controversial or tragic event has a single historical woek had such a far-reaching impact as has Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Twelve years have passed since this book appeared. It found a very sympathetic audience among the people of Utah, especially among the historians and teachers of the institutions of higher learning. If no recognition came fro... (show all)m the authories of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, neither did any official condemnaion. -Author's Statement - I
I am pleased that with this fourth printing of the new edition of Mountain Meadows Massacre the University of Oklahoma Press has given me permission to add material which might amplify or alter my earlier conclusions. -Author... (show all)'s Statenent - II
To understand properly the Mountain Meadows Massacre, one must know something of the stormy history of the Mormon church. This church had its beginnings in western New York during the revivalist period of the early 1800's, wh... (show all)en preachers stirred whole counties into frenzy with their lurid eloquence, and sporadic sects sprang up over the countryside like mushrooms. -Chapter 1, Into the Wilderness - Canonical DDC/MDS
- 979.247
- Canonical LCC
- F826.B87
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality
- DDC/MDS
- 979.247 — History & geography History of North America Great Basin and Pacific Slope region of United States Utah Great Basin (Western Utah Counties) Iron County
- LCC
- F826 .B87 — Local History of the United States, Canada and Latin America United States local history Utah
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 244
- Popularity
- 133,305
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.79)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 6
